Porsche Taycan meets the Tesla Model S P100D on the drag strip
The newest luxury electric sedan meets the benchmark, but how does it hold up?
It's easy to compare things on paper, but often real-world results reveal a different story. That's why comparison tests exist in the real world, so we can do our best to showcase what makes a car tick and how it performs compared with a rival.
And there may not be a more anticipated comparison in recent times than the Tesla Model S and the Porsche Taycan. German television show Auto Mobil (full episode at the link) gathered both cars and decided to see how they handle themselves at a drag strip and through a standard slalom course.
A couple of things to point out here, however. Firstly, tires make a huge difference to performance. We can't say for certain what kind of shoes either car was wearing, which could affect the final results. Secondly, it appears the German show tested an older Model S P100D, not the car currently for sale from Tesla . The latest Model S P100D, which we tested earlier this year, packs suspension updates and new electric motors.
While this video gives us a general idea of how the two compare, if you want to see how these two electric powerhouse sedans stack up on paper, we've got you covered there.
As a refresher, the Model S P100D is making somewhere around 762 horsepower, while the Porsche Taycan, shown here in Turbo S form, makes 616 hp (750 hp with its overboost function). A 0-60 mph sprint for the American luxury EV takes a lightning-quick 2.4 seconds, while the Taycan Turbo S clips the same speed off in 2.6 seconds. These two are pretty evenly matched, and the video shows that until the near end of the drag race, the Porsche starts to pull away.
Again, we certainly need to see the latest goods from Tesla lined up against the Taycan to make a final judgement. On the slalom, the Porsche easily out-handles the Tesla, but also refer back to those caveats up top. Tires can make a huge difference. The German reviewer team also found the Taycan Turbo S accelerated more quickly than the Model S P100D, and it could repeat the performance with ease. The Model S, on the other hand, started to slow as the crew continued acceleration tests.
Interestingly, they also found the Taycan didn't hold up to Porsche's fast-charging claims. When parked at a station, it showed max charging rates of 150 kW, rather than Porsche's boasted 270 kW. These are things we certainly look forward to testing when we get to spend more time with the Taycan. Our first-drive review revealed a competent electric sedan, though it wasn't without flaws.
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